of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Austria
Disputes - international:
while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the newly elected Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its nuclear power plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Azerbaijan
Introduction
Azerbaijan
Background:
Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.
Geography
Azerbaijan
Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and
Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
Geographic coordinates:
40 30 N, 47 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 86,600 sq km land: 86,100 sq km water: 500 sq km note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,013 km border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
dry, semiarid steppe
Terrain:
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea −28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Land use:
arable land: 20.62% permanent crops: 2.61% other: 76.77% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,550 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
30.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%) per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
droughts
Environment - current issues:
local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
People
Azerbaijan
Population:
8,177,717 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 24.6% (male 1,061,318/female 947,607) 15–64 years: 68.6% (male 2,753,277/female 2,855,406) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 208,293/female 351,816) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.9 years male: 26.3 years female: 29.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.723% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.52 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
−1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years:
